Tiny Houses – Tiny House Plans 4 Buildershttp://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com
Building And Designing Smaller HomesMon, 25 Apr 2016 00:20:09 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.16http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Fav.pngTiny Houses – Tiny House Plans 4 Buildershttp://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com
3232Downsizing to a Tiny Home- What to keep? What to Give Away?http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/downsizing-to-a-tiny-home/
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:49:53 +0000http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/?p=347 Are you downsizing to a tiny home? Before you buy or start to build your tiny home, you need to do some serious downsizing. Sometimes we tend to move too quickly and later regret that we had not put more thought into our move. Do we really know what we will need? Do we know what size of a tiny house we should buy or build? Will we need sleeping room for a guest? Do we know what will fit in our tiny house? Will any of our current furniture be suitable?

You need to ask some serious questions and give some serious thought to what you will keep and what you will sell or give away . Try to be environmentally conscious and recycle everything you can. Do you have children who will want some of the family heirlooms or are your children like many….no real interest in anything old? Or if you are a young couple, or a single person, some of these questions will not apply, nor will some of the information. Take what is helpful, and ignore the rest.

First you might want to ask yourself the following questions to help start the planning process. You will need to know what size of tiny home to buy or build.

Are there some things I can’t live without?

Are there family heirlooms that I must keep?

Do our grandkids like to come and stay overnight?

Do we often have overnight guests?

Now that we have given thought to some of these questions, how do we go about downsizing? You will need time to do this so start now if you are serious about a tiny house and get rid of non essentials. Once you follow this plan you will then have a pretty good idea of the size of tiny house you will need.

If there are items of furniture, heirlooms, or collections that you may have to let go, why not take pictures and make an album of memories that you can pull out some evening, in your new tiny house, and reminisce!

First, sit down and write a list of all the things you have that you just can’t live without. This will help when you start going through your things. It will make it easier getting rid of items if they are not on your list.

Start with the non-sentimental items like your kitchen. You do not need duplicates of everything. Sort out the essential items you will need and put the rest in to your “get rid of” boxes. There are likely may items that you have not used in months or even years. Won’t it feel good to purge these items! You may want two boxes, one to sell and one to give away. What you are keeping stays in its current place as you are not moving yet! You can sell on-line or have a garage sale or donate to some non-profit who will be happy to take your extras. Remember your space will be limited so larger items like food processors may not be practical.

Next tackle the bathroom and linen closet. You will not have a large bathroom so keep only four towels per person and two sheet sets per bed. You most likely will have one large bed and possibly one other bed for guests. Currently you may have several bedrooms and a very full linen closet. Get rid of the extras.

Collections– if you, or your husband, have a collection of stamps, dolls, cars, etc. now is the time to choose your favorite and put the rest in the boxes to get rid of You will not have room for collections but just think……someone else can now get enjoyment out of your collections.

Family heirlooms – is there one very special heirloom that has considerable meaning? Possibly your partner and you, both have a special connection. It may be practical to keep these but evaluate the others. Do they have value to sell, do your children or other family member want some, or is there a museum in your area that you could donate the items to?

Sentimental items – your child’s first report card, a medal you won at track, or something else that has special meaning you may want to keep. But all of those scrapbooks of pictures your child painted just may have to go.

Books and pictures – Be practical. Ask yourself, if I can take three pictures and ten books, which ones will they be? Choose these, put the remainder in your boxes. With pictures be sure to evaluate if your chosen three are practical in a small space.

Papers – You will not have room for all the paper you have saved over the years. Sort out the obvious keepers such as Social Security cards, pension information, passports, marriage licenses, property deeds, investment information, diplomas, your wills and vehicle titles, etc. Anything critical like this needs to be kept but they may already be in a safety security box at your bank. Other things you have filed away such as the fifty “how to” manuals for products you no longer own, must go!

Clothes– This can be a real headache. You may need an objective person to help you here. Your best friend or a daughter who will say, “But mom (or dad) that is seriously out of date, get rid of it!” or “you haven’t worn that for over a year” and these items you put in your boxes first. Your final cleanse of clothing will occur once you get your tiny home and see what space you have for clothing. You will not have that big walk in closet for sure!

Photographs– can you digitize most of them and keep only a few special ones in a tiny album! You will want to keep family photos and if they are digitized you can have a “movie night” and reminisce in your tiny house.

Electronics– That big screen TV mounted on the wall, the four computers, and other assorted electronic items will likely have to go. One or possibly two computers (preferably laptops) and small electronics may be practical. Don’t ditch all of these yet, but wait until just before you are ready to move as you may want to watch that TV. Remember with computers and other electronics that store your personal data, be sure to have it wiped off before selling or donating.

Decorations– you won’t have room for that 12 foot Christmas tree and all those other decorative items like hundreds of feet of outdoor lights and the Santa Claus, sled and eight tiny reindeer. These must go!

Furniture – you can start selling or giving away items that you are not using, but may want to wait until closer to moving time. Most furniture will have to go and you could now make a list of items your children might want, ones you want to sell, give to friends or donate so that when the time comes you have already decided. You will most likely need to buy most furniture specifically for your new tiny house.

Car – decide if you will keep two, or sell one when you move.

Exercise equipment – time to let go as your tiny house will not have a gym room.

Last but not least……. the two things you will get rid of that will benefit you the most:

The Big House – less cleaning, less upkeep, less expense.

Your Debt or Monthly Payments – You will be able to live much more economically now. You will have money to travel and will have less worries!

Now you can start looking at tiny house plans. You will have a good start on getting rid of extras and you have answered questions on what sleeping space you will need. Enjoy looking at tiny house plans!

]]>Tiny House Movement – is North America the Only Place?http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/tiny-house-movement/
Fri, 01 Apr 2016 19:29:49 +0000http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/?p=312Is North America the Only Place to find the Tiny House Movement?

There is definitely a tiny house movement in North America. You can find television shows about living in tiny houses, there have been movies about living small and Pinterest is bursting with boards about the tiny house movement.

What led to the tiny house movement?

Americans have been known for “bigger is better” and for huge houses. The average new house size in North America is about 2500 square feet. What has led to this desire to downsize into a tiny home? We hear tiny house advocates say that living small allows them to spend money on things that are more important to them. If they don’t have so much money tied up in house payments, they have money to travel. Looking after a large house takes time, and money to fill all that space. All those possessions take maintenance and time out of your schedule. Living small will get you to focus on what is really important to you. Tiny houses, on average, are from 200 to 400 square feet small! With this much smaller space to care for you can spend more time with family, travel or volunteer instead of all that upkeep in a larger home. Another benefit often cited is that you are living “green” in a tiny home. Fewer possessions and a smaller house will mean you are leaving a smaller footprint in your environment and destroying fewer trees. And a big bonus, you will actually own your tiny home instead of paying a mortgage for the next 30 years.

Who is involved in the tiny house movement in North America?

There are two main groups driving this “smaller is better” movement. The millennials have huge university loans to pay back and can’t afford the size of home they grew up in. The baby boomers (and there are many of them) are retiring and want to be able to travel. They don’t want the upkeep that their current home takes and they want to free up some money for travel. Others involved in the small house trend are families building a tiny home on their property for guests, for their aging parents or on rural property for a vacation home. As you will see elsewhere on my site, there are also cities looking to solve their homeless problem by providing tiny homes for homeless veterans and/or the homeless with a mental health issue.

Is there a tiny house movement elsewhere in the world?

Yes, there is.

Take Japan for example. Seventy percent of Japan’s landmass is not suitable to build on and the population of Japan is 126,384,643. The cost of real estate is very high and yet many Japanese would like to own their own home. There are incredible architects in Japan who have designed tiny homes to use very small spaces unsuitable for a traditional house. This will allow more Japanese families to have a small home on the limited space available.

In France there is a tiny house movement led by Bruno Thiery, a builder in Normandy. His first tiny home was built for an environmentalist and he then decided he could help other Europeans have their own home if he made tiny houses available in Europe.

Russia also has tiny houses, some called DublDom or double house. This is a modular home and the designers are BIO Architects. There are two sizes, either 280 square feet or 431 square feet and they are designed not as cabins but as a home. They are fully insulated with electricity and plumbing.

In Spain, Niall Burke, a structural engineer interested in green design and tiny homes developed Humble Homes while taking his masters in engineering. Local regulations in one area only allowed a house of 269 square feet but allowed a height that accommodated two stories. Ground floor had living space and a kitchen while the second level had a bedroom. They were also allowed to have a basement level that provided for another bedroom and a bathroom.

In Australia the tiny house movement is growing. Darren Hughes is the founder of Tiny House Australia. He estimated his tiny home would cost approximately $30,000 to $40,000 to build, while the median house price in Australia is more than $600,000.

This is just a sample of how the world is looking at living large in a tiny space, to leave a smaller carbon footprint, to have more time for what is meaningful, to be able to own your home before you are OLD, and to have money to do other things than just survive!

Tiny homes are springing up all over the country. Many different ideas for their use, but all of them to form a community for a specific purpose. Finding affordable housing causes extreme stress for many individuals and often leads to homelessness if it can’t be found!

In Quebec, Canada there is a new social experiment to provide smaller homes for seniors and young families in a communal setting. The tiny homes would be built in groups of six with lots of fifteen thousand square feet. A communal area would be used to provide a space for community activities, gardens, or play space. This small town, Lavaltrie, has a population of approximately 800 people and would like to attract more to help revitalize the community. In Canada many rural communities have difficulty retaining residents due to lack of employment. This project hopes to generate some employment but also encourage young people and seniors to stay in the community rather than moving to the city. The project is called Les Hameaux de la Source (Hamlets of the Source.) They even have a tiny homes meetup group of you want to meet other tiny house owners.

Tiny homes for the homeless

In January, 2016 locals in Chattanooga announced they were going to build tiny homes for the homeless. Their plan is to design a small community of tiny homes to provide a safe place for the homeless to call their own. The expected size is 8 feet by 10 feet, so they really are tiny homes!
They also want to have a communal space where the homeless can grow a garden to provide them with food. The projected cost per tiny home is approximately $500 excluding electrical costs.
One of their biggest challenges is finding a place where the community would be accepted. They hope that this project will provide a safe place for the homeless veterans and other vulnerable persons in Chattanooga. Check out the tiny homes for the homeless.

Tiny homes for veterans and those with disabilities

Chatham County also has a problem with homelessness and are also going the route of tiny homes to combat the issue. In 2015 Mahadevan and Chapel Hill construction built a 336 square foot tiny home as a model for the ones to follow. They are designed for the homeless with a disability or mental health issue and will be placed on a 40 acre farm in Penny Lane, rural Chatham. The non profit Cross Disability Services or XDS are sponsoring the project and own the land where the tiny homes will be built. They are one step ahead of many other communities who are struggling to find land where they can build tiny homes. When XDS is finished they hope to have 10 tiny homes for their neediest homeless. The rent for these tiny homes will be $200 to $300 per unit instead of the $872 average rent of other properties in Chatham. Those on federal disability receive checks of $730 dollars and thus the reason for homelessness.See more on how Chatham County is developing tiny homes for veterans and others with disabilities.

Tiny homes for business and living

York, Maine has also approved zoning that will allow up to six tiny homes of a size 30 ft by 20 feet to be built on less than an acre of land. The developer proposes the development would be a mix of retail and studio or one bedroom living spaces. There is already interest from businesses in York to move to this tiny homes village. These tiny homes for mixed use of business and living space is just another idea with merit. So it is easy to see that there are some wonderful uses for these tiny homes in both Canada and the USA.

]]>5 Factors to Consider When Looking at Tiny House Planshttp://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/5-factors-to-consider-when-looking-at-tiny-house-plans/
http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/5-factors-to-consider-when-looking-at-tiny-house-plans/#respondSat, 27 Feb 2016 18:42:55 +0000http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/?p=262The tiny house movement is constantly growing, with more and more people taking the plunge and moving into incredibly small spaces. There are countless benefits associated with living in a tiny space. For one thing, a smaller home has a smaller carbon footprint, which is beneficial for the environment.

Additionally, freeing yourself from clutter and extraneous junk that you don’t need allows you to focus on the things that are most important in life. Most people who move into tiny houses find that they feel freer without all of their old belongings and without the headache of trying to clean and maintain a larger home.

Finally, a smaller home also means lower repair costs. For instance, there is quite a difference in price between replacing a roof on a 1,000 square foot home and a 100 square foot home.

However, living tiny doesn’t come without its challenges. Careful planning is essential in order to take advantage of every square inch of the space. That is why it is so important to choose the right tiny house plans. Here are some factors to look for when deciding which plans to purchase.

1. Storage – Storage is hard to come by in a tiny home. With so little room available, finding space for all of your belongings can be challenging. Because of that, it is important to look for plans that incorporate plenty of storage space. For instance, some house plans have extra storage tucked away under the bed or in other hidden spaces. Having plenty of storage available can make living in a tiny space far more practical and enjoyable.

2. A Loft – Lofts can effectively double the living space of a tiny home. By choosing a house that has a loft, you can sleep upstairs while having your living space down below. This creates a much more livable space than trying to cram everything in on the same floor. In a way, it is almost like adding an additional room to the home.

3. A Materials List – Rather than having to guess at what materials you need to buy to complete the plans, getting a list of the necessary supplies along with it can make the process go much more smoothly. Most house plans do come with material lists. However, some do not, which is why it is important to check before buying them.

4. An Experienced Company – Ideally, you should buy your house plans from a company that has a proven track record of success. Read reviews of the company to find out if other people enjoyed working with them in the past. Also, try to find photos of finished houses that were built using their plans. This can help you get a sense of what the houses look like once they are completed.

Try to avoid getting too caught up in the overall look of the home. Instead, focus on functionality. Tiny house plans that put functionality first generally create a far more livable home than plans that are designed solely to be aesthetically pleasing.

]]>http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/5-factors-to-consider-when-looking-at-tiny-house-plans/feed/0Tiny House Designs – Top 5 Benefits Of Living In A Limited Spacehttp://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/tiny-house-designs-top-5-benefits-of-living-in-a-limited-space/
http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/tiny-house-designs-top-5-benefits-of-living-in-a-limited-space/#respondSat, 27 Feb 2016 18:38:04 +0000http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/?p=259Tiny houses have grown very popular over the past few years. There are even TV Shows featuring some of the best and most innovative ways of living in small spaces. A new house in the United States costs an average of $360,000– the main reason why people opt to downsize. Many had suffered massive debts just to support the over 2,400 square feet average home in America. We will discuss some benefits of having a tiny home so that you can make a better decision.

Mobility

Most tiny house designs have built-in wheels. One can take their home anywhere they want. Moving in a different city or land will never be difficult. Some even take their tiny houses to vacation without packing clothes or suitcases that they may need.

A few have solar panels and rainwater collectors that can be very helpful in living in remote areas. These are designed to be very durable and can be parked wherever.

Imagine how great it would be to travel without leaving the house.

Cost-effective

Tiny homes cost less than $19,000 to $50,000. This may vary due to size and custom-fit needs. Living in small houses can provide financial freedom to its owner.

A small house means lower expenses on utility bills. One can save a significant amount of money because they only use what they really need. A limited space also entails the use of smaller appliances, which are generally more energy efficient than their bigger counterparts. Not to mention, little space requires less energy for controlling the temperature inside the house.

Others make the most out of it by Investing in improved insulation. They also install energy saving light bulbs to reduce electrical consumption.

Smaller houses require fewer decorations. This is the best kind of home for people who want to regularly change decorations but are on a tight budget. Ultimately, it will be cheaper to revamp the entire house.

Time-efficient

Redecorating the whole house can take just a day to finish. No need to wait and do one room after the other for the whole house is the entire canvass.

Cleaning will only take a few minutes. Since the space is limited, there will be less area to get dirty. Spending less time on cleaning will definitely give more time for other things.

Environment Friendly

Tiny houses are great for using recycled and re-purposed materials, making it more distinct than others while saving expenses for buying new ones.

Smaller spaces demand the usage of a few natural resources because of its size causing less impact and damage to the environment.

Creativity

Having to live in a tiny house awakens creativity and curiosity. A lot of people have invented furniture and equipment to make their lives easier.

There is a foldable table to save space, a bed placed high above an office desk to be organized and comfortable at the same time, and other innovative furniture for tiny houses.

It may be far from the norm to live in a small house, but it’s something definitely worth looking at. There are plenty of tiny house designs to choose from. It’s all a matter of personal preference and realizing the advantages of living in a small home.

]]>http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/tiny-house-designs-top-5-benefits-of-living-in-a-limited-space/feed/0Awesome Tiny House Plans With Lofthttp://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/awesome-tiny-house-plans-with-loft/
http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/awesome-tiny-house-plans-with-loft/#commentsSat, 27 Feb 2016 18:03:23 +0000http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/?p=243There are some awesome tiny house plans with loft on the market. Many of these tiny house plans with loft are designed for full-time living. For example, you can purchase or build a tiny house just under 200 sq. feet for a price of $10,000 or less. This incredibly small home will come complete with a full working kitchen. The kitchen will have a full size washer machine, refrigerator, mini oven, micro wave oven, double wide sink, stove top ventilation, and lots of cabinetry and storage.

This unique home will also have mechanical ventilation, an office nook, a living room with sofa, a propane fired fireplace, a built in china cabinet, a folding dining room table with 3 chairs, book shelves, and additional storage units. There will be a queen sized bed in the loft with a night table. There is also an option for guest sleeping quarters in the loft area as well.

The unit will easily connect to a septic or sewer system. The mini bathroom will have a standard porcelain toilet and porcelain wash basin. The porcelain wash basin will sit on top of a cabinet with additional underneath storage space. There will be a mini bathtub/shower combination with a removable shower head. The entire unit has an overall size of 9’ x 20’ and can be transported and set up on a wheel base. This will allow for extra outside storage under the tiny mobile home.

You can use standard shingles for the roof or else you can install a metal roof of any color you prefer. The majority of these tiny home will use vinyl siding. Vinyl Siding has many wonderful colors to choose from. The windows will be double hung, sliding glass windows with optional muntin bars. The exterior doors can be either wood or metal. Many of these tiny home also select a satellite dish for TV reception.

Tiny homes are especially suited for narrow building lots. They also have the additional feature of being mobile. If you ever have to relocate you can simply transport your home and all of your belongings simply and easily. The home can remain on its transportation wheel base or you can construct a separate concrete foundation. These type of tiny homes are perfect for country living by a lake or river.

Tiny homes do not come with a built-in patio or deck. However, it will be easy to construct a patio or deck once you have positioned your home on your building lot. Many tiny homeowners also construct a freestanding covering for their car or truck. There are many websites that have tiny home building plans for you to see and purchase. You can build a tiny home on your own or else you can purchase a pre-built unit from a reputable manufacture. Whichever way you decide to go it is a fact that you will enjoy the many fine benefits of living in one of these fantastic smaller, well organized tiny homes.

]]>http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/awesome-tiny-house-plans-with-loft/feed/1Guideline For Tiny House Dimensionshttp://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/guideline-for-tiny-house-dimensions/
http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/guideline-for-tiny-house-dimensions/#respondSat, 27 Feb 2016 17:53:34 +0000http://tinyhouseplans.mywebpal.com/?p=237There is some debate among tiny house enthusiasts as to the maximum square footage a home can have in order to be considered “tiny”. The general consensus is that these homes have to be under 255 square feet. However, some people consider homes under 500 square feet to still fall into the tiny category.

Typically, though, when people talk about tiny homes they are referring to homes that are small enough to be built on top of a trailer. This isn’t just done for convenience. Instead, it allows these homeowners to avoid having to adhere to local building codes since their home is not built on a foundation.

While this may be an effective workaround for getting past building codes, it does limit the overall tiny house dimensions. In the United States, trailers or tow-behinds typically can’t be larger than 8.5′ wide and 30′ long. They are also usually restricted to no more than 13.5 feet tall. Towing anything larger than this behind a vehicle usually requires a commercial license. That means that the maximum square footage for a tiny home on wheels is approximately 255 square feet.

The floor space inside one of these miniature homes can be expanded by adding a loft. This effectively doubles the living space of the home. However you look at it, though, these homes don’t offer a lot of space.

What they lack in room, however, they typically make up for in charm. Careful space planning can make them both comfortable and practical to live in. Innovative design features such as hidden storage spaces and counter tops that fold away when not in use can help add functionality to the space without taking up much room.

There are quite a few challenges that come along with building a tiny house. For one thing, they need to be lightweight enough to be towed behind a vehicle. That means that every item that is added to the home during the building process needs to be carefully considered in order to avoid going over the weight limit. Additionally, the residents may need to keep track of the weight of their belongings so that they don’t overload the home.

Granted, most people who live in these homes don’t move them very often. Instead, they find a comfortable, affordable place to park them and leave them there year-round. However, if they are asked to move them for any reason, it is important that they can comply without having to make major renovations to the home.

If you are thinking of building a tiny home of your own, it is important to carefully consider the size. There are a number of rules and regulations surrounding tiny house dimensions that must be followed. A good place to start is by contacting your local building department. They should be able to provide you with information on the minimum size a home can be to still be in compliance with local building codes. You may also want to contact your state’s highway department to ask about the maximum trailer size that is allowed in your area.